You’ll hear a lot about celebrities who have had a lot of work done and then others who have “aged gracefully.” The term can mean something different to various people. For some, it’s about allowing the signs of aging naturally come through but while still caring for the skin. For others, it’s about not showing any signs of aging and making it look like time stands still on the skin.
The human body is an amazing device. It’s made up of hundreds of bones with the skin being the largest organ. However, there are important functions of each organ within the body.
Aging is more than just the way you look. It’s about the body on the inside. Here are eight amazing facts about aging gracefully that you need to know.
Skin Cell Shedding Happens Every Hour
You’ll know that the skin sheds cells, but did you know that this happens on an hourly basis? There’s no need to only wait until you get in the shower to help your body get rid of the dead skin cells on your body.
Your skin will shed 600,000 particles on an hourly basis. That ends up working out to be 1.5lbs of particles on a yearly basis! When you take in life from birth to around the age of 70, you’ve lost around 105 lbs. of skin.
But it doesn’t seem like it, does it? That’s because your skin will repair. You gain new skin cells as the old ones die or become damaged. Your body is constantly in a state of repair to help reduce the signs of aging and keep the skin healthy and glowing.
However, there are times that your body is affected by outside particles. Your health problems can make it harder for the skin cells to repair. When this happens, you can end up with worn and dull looking skin. The dullness can also happen due to too many dead skin cells on the top layer.
When your skin sheds, it doesn’t always release from the top layer. You may need to help matters by exfoliating and dry brushing. Not only do you help the skin glow, but you can also improve the pores. The skin cells no longer block the pores, so you end up with brighter and clearer skin.
The Brain and Nerve Cells Can’t Regenerate
While most of the skin cells will regenerate, there are two that can’t. Brain and nerve cells need to be protected as much as possible. Once they’ve been damaged or killed, they can’t be replaced.
When we’re born, we have all the cells that we need throughout life. It’s why the head size changes at a much slower rate than the rest of our bodies!
However, you can help to repair nerve damage. The body will always try to rectify the problem if there is something to work on. You will need to make sure you have the right nutrients in your diet to ensure this happens. One of the best that you can have is omega 3 fatty acids.
Omega 3 is linked to brain improvement. You support the health of the connections and the cells within the brain, ensuring the tissues remain healthy and the cognitive functions remain intact. The omega 3 will also help the health of the skin, so you help to improve the cells there!
When you protect the health of the brain and nerve cells, you will have more functionality in the future. As you age, your brain and nerves will age with you slowly (and sometimes remain younger than your actual age), so you end up aging much more gracefully than any of your friends!
The Diet Doesn’t Have Room for Empty Calories
As you get older, you want to focus on a healthier and more balanced diet. This isn’t the time to add empty calories to your diet. You want to add more proteins, antioxidants, fiber and other nutrients.
When we get older, our metabolisms slow down. This can lead to us gaining weight, especially if we continue to follow the diet that we had when we were younger. But more than that, it can lead to us feeling sluggish and fatigued. When you add more high-quality proteins and fiber, you end up with far more energy. The food breaks down slower, so you’re left feeling fuller for longer.
And then there’s the benefit of the other nutrients. By adding more antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They will all help to support the cell health throughout the body—both to help repair damage to some cells, regenerate others, and protect some from damage.
A healthy diet is the number one way to ensure you age gracefully. You fuel the body from the inside and your skin is left glowing. Your hormones remain balanced, helping to keep the oil production to a minimum to protect the pores from clogging.
You’re Happier When You Get Older
Studies have shown that the mental health also grows older gracefully. And benefits to the mental health can lead to benefits to the physical health. As we get older, we start to get happier. Moving into retirement age means less stress in the workplace. You can focus more on the things that you want to do, instead of worrying about if you can get time off work, what your boss expects you to do and whether your colleagues are going to pitch some effort into the job.
Many will also find their children have flown the nest. It’s a chance for downsizing and releasing some of the responsibility. You may have your grandchildren over, but at the end of the day, the grandchildren go back home. You can focus on having more fun instead of feeling like you’re always at the beck and call of others.
Improving your mental health is essential. As you starve off depression, your body can work more efficiently. You’ll find it easier to boost the positive hormones, which then helps to keep the stress levels to a minimum. Stress leads to faster signs of aging, which affects how your skin looks and how you feel. So, by keeping a positive mental attitude and being happier in life, you’ll find it easier to age gracefully.
On top of that, being happier also helps to support the health of your brain cells and connections. Studies show that those with happier lifestyles are mentally sharper and able to hand more thrown at them. You can keep more memories and feel more clarity, so you mentally feel like you’re aging gracefully compared to your unhappy friends.
You’ll Have Fewer Migraines
As you get older, your body will naturally start to repair and reduce some side effects and conditions. Migraines is one of them. It’s not exactly clear why, but you suffer from fewer migraines when you get older. Those between 13 and 50 are more likely to have the worst of them.
This also includes you getting rid of the side effects and symptoms. You’ll get rid of that sensitivity to light and the feeling of nausea or even moving into vomiting. Plus, as you get older and have fewer responsibilities, the fewer migraines will also impact your whole lifeless.
Without the migraines, you will feel more positive in your life. It’s easier to feel happier because you don’t have the stress side effects. You’re not hoping and praying for the pain to go away or for the painkillers to work for the first time ever! You’re not back and forth with the doctors to find the right dosage and handle when surprise migraines happen.
By reducing the stress, you naturally feel healthier and happier. This then translates to the rest of your health, so you age more gracefully.
Natural Skin Care Is a Powerful Option
There are all these celebrities who get work done, but is that really aging gracefully? Sometimes it’s obvious and the work doesn’t always look as positive or natural as you’d hope. It’s time to look for natural ways to age gracefully.
Natural skin care is one of the best options available. You can create your own products at home, keeping the costs to a minimum and managing the nutrients that your skin needs the most.
Look out for those that have more retinol in them. Your skin will need help to support the collagen levels to help age gracefully. It’s the collagen that helps to support the flexibility and elasticity of the skin. When you add more retinol, you gain more collagen and you will see fewer fine lines and wrinkles appear.
You will also need to add more vitamin C and citrus fruits. Lemons can be good, but you can also work with tomatoes and oranges for a slightly lower citric acid intake. The latter two are much better if you naturally have sensitive skin. With citrus and vitamin C, you can support the skin cell health and improve the look of sun spots on your skin.
If you do use lemon and other citrus fruits, do this before you leave the house and always put sunscreen on afterward. The acid will make your skin more sensitive to light, increasing the risk of burning and other damage.
Moisturizing Cream Is Your Best Friend
You don’t need a lot of expensive products to age naturally. It’s all about adding more moisture to your skin. The skin requires water, but it can’t always get it from the amount you drink during the day. You need to add the moisture directly to the top.
Many of us forget about this and that’s why we struggle with aging skin. As the skin cries, it looks duller and the collagen production depletes. You end up with a look of darker, patchier skin that isn’t as glowing as it could be. Plus, you end up with more stretch marks and fine lines, so you look older than you really are.
While there are night creams that can help, you can also opt for natural products. Coconut oil is a deep moisturizer, which can work wonders overnight. Then you can use olive oil or almond oil throughout the day. Argan oil is excellent for oily or sensitive skin, while coconut oil can be used daily by those who have rough or dry skin.
Look out for treatments for your skin type. And remember that your skin type changes, so you’ll need to adapt your products as you age.
Your Eyes Will Show Aging First
The eyes are going to be the first place that you see signs of aging. This part of the body doesn’t get as much moisture as others and the skin is paper-thin. You want to look after the area to make sure you look like you’re aging gracefully.
Start by using more Vaseline or some moisturizing cream throughout the day and night. Use your ring fingers (the weakest fingers) to apply the product just underneath your eyes, where they tend to darken if you haven’t had enough sleep. You can also use it around the sides, where the crow’s feet can start to appear.
On a night, use something more nourishing, like coconut oil or argan oil. Allow the oils to soak into your skin overnight. Just don’t get the oils in your eyes! It’s only about the skin.
You can also use slices of cucumber or even cucumber juice. Cucumbers are mostly water, so you’ll get away with placing them over the actual eyes without damage. Potato slices also work but will need to be applied under the lids. The potatoes can help to brighten those dark patches that form.
Improve Your Skin Instantly
It’s time to age with grace. You can do it all naturally. As you improve certain elements of your life, you’ll also improve your health and the look of the skin. There’s no need for plastic surgery when you use the above facts to help.
